Johnny Åstrand
MSc in Architecture 1981
Director of Housing Development & Management
Deputy Head Architecture and Built Environment
Born: 1955
Nationality: Swedish
Languages: Swedish, Danish, English, French, Spanish, (German)
Johnny Åstrand has more than 30 years’ experience of working with poverty alleviation and social inclusion within the field of urban housing development and management. The work has included research, lecturing and capacity development in Sweden, Algeria, Bolivia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Tanzania and Tunisia.
He was program director for PROMESHA 1995-2010, a program for capacity development in Latin America. The main aim of the program was to contribute to improve living conditions for the urban poor through capacity development of professionals and policy dialog with decision makers. The program was implemented in collaboration with ten institutional partners in eight countries and sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). PROMESHA has strengthened the capacity of more than 6,000 professionals and decision makers and been instrumental in framing social housing concepts into the constitutions of both Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as extended networks, transferring knowledge and the exchange of methods and ideas between organizations in Latin America.
Johnny Åstrand is interested in urban shelter development, urban design & population density, housing as a tool for poverty alleviation & social inclusion and innovative capacity development.
